Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Azerbaijan: Prisoners of War

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Azerbaijan regarding their imprisonment of prisoners of war and civilians following the ceasefire agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia concluded in September 2020.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government welcomed the most recent return of prisoners of war in November 2022 and return of remains of the deceased in December 2022. In engagements since 2020 with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, UK Government representatives, including successive Ministers for Europe, have urged the parties to prioritise the return of all prisoners of war and the remains of the deceased. We will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months to resolve all outstanding issues relating to the conflict.

Azerbaijan: Nagorno Karabakh

Baroness Cox: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they are making to the government of Azerbaijan regarding that government’s (1) continuing attemptsto resolve the status ofNagorno-Karabakh militarily, and (2) failure to respond to His Majesty's Government's calls to respect international calls for a political solution.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK's longstanding position is that there is no military solution to this conflict and that Armenia and Azerbaijan must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable peaceful settlement. The Minister for Europe Leo Docherty underlined this message when he visited Baku in February. We welcome the peace talks that took place recently in Washington and Brussels and will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months.

Syria: League of Arab States

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they had with the Arab League prior to its decision to approve Syria’s readmission as a member on 7 May.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Engaging Bashar al-Assad in the absence of any evidence that his regime will change its behaviour will not help Syrians or the region. We therefore do not support Syria's readmission to the Arab League in current circumstances. Ahead of the decision to re-admit Syria to the Arab League we encouraged Arab states to set firm conditions on refugee return, detainee release and justice reform. We continue to encourage our Arab partners that their further engagement is staggered and supportive of the conditions set out in UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2254. The Foreign Secretary has stated that the UK is disappointed with Syria's readmission to the Arab League; ultimately, however, decisions on membership are for League members.

Myanmar: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government (1) what is their assessment of the current political and security situation in Myanmar, and (2) what recent strategic discussions they have held with international partners regarding the situation in Myanmar.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is worried about the deteriorating situation in Myanmar, where violence is widespread, human rights violations are increasing and humanitarian needs are growing, especially following Cyclone Mocha. In response, the UK has worked closely with the US, Canada and the EU to target sanctions on the military leadership, its access to revenue, arms and military equipment. On 21 December 2022, the UN Security Council passed the first ever resolution on the situation in Myanmar. This was led by the UK. The resolution demands an end to violence and urges immediate action by the military regime to fully implement the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Five Point Consensus and release all those arbitrarily detained.

Russia: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Russia’s future global priorities as set out in the foreign policy strategy document released by the Kremlin on 31 March.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We note Russia's Foreign Policy Concept, which identifies sovereignty, the legal foundations of the international system, and global stability as core to Russia's global priorities. Russia's unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine, in clear disregard for the UN Charter, is entirely contrary to each of these principles. In reality, Putin's war has left Russia isolated on the international stage. If these are truly Russia's priorities, it should withdraw its forces from Ukraine immediately.

UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to renegotiate part of the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement given reports of threats to (1) export businesses, and (2) the sustainability ofmanufacturing operations in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We recognise that the Covid pandemic, war in Ukraine and energy crisis have shocked supply chains, meaning raw material costs for manufacturers of electric vehicles have spiked since we signed the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). This is a problem for manufacturers across Europe, not just in the UK. Ministers have raised this with the European Commission and we're ready to work with the EU and industry to find a joint UK-EU solution.The UK Government is supporting industry through the Automotive Transformation Fund and Advanced Propulsion Centre to develop a high-value end-to-end electrified automotive supply chain in the UK and support cutting-edge automotive technologies. In the coming months, the Government will build on these interventions with decisive action to ensure future investment in zero emission vehicle manufacturing.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 May concerning the conflict in Sudan,what assessment they have made of the declaration by Genocide Watch on 13 May of the risk of genocide occurring in Sudan, including Darfur; and whether they have any plans to authorise a formal UK Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment of (1) any risk of genocide, and (2) any other atrocities and war crimes, occurring.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We have noted the report issued by Genocide Watch on the risk of genocide occurring in Sudan. We have consistently denounced all human rights violations that have taken place since the escalation in incidents since 15 April; the continuing violence and killing of civilians must end. We will continue to support the work of the ICC Prosecutor in his important work to investigate crimes in Darfur, and regularly raise our concerns over human rights violations in international fora such as the UN Human Rights Council. The UK works closely with a wide range of non-governmental organisations and UN partners on understanding conflict, atrocity prevention, early warning and early response systems. We regularly update our conflict analysis to help the UK support conflict resolution mechanisms and create a supportive regional environment.

Somalia: Famine

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had withthe government of Somalia about the prevention of famine in that country; and what future engagements they have scheduled.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: In 2022 the collective efforts of humanitarian partners and donors, including the UK, averted famine in Somalia. Despite the reduced famine risk, humanitarian needs remain extraordinary. The UK is committed to addressing the acute food security and malnutrition situation. Last financial year we committed over £61million to support the drought response in Somalia. We regularly engage at all levels with the Federal Government and Federal Member States on the humanitarian situation. In December, the Minister of State for Development and Africa's first overseas visit was to Somalia to raise the profile of the crisis and engage the government. Ministers and senior officials continue to engage, up to Presidential level. On 24 May the UK will co-host a UN pledging event in collaboration with the Governments of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia to mobilise funding for humanitarian operations in the Horn of Africa.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan provide aid to Darfuri victims and survivors of violence in Sudan; and what plans they have to support the mandate of theUN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan to achieve more public awareness of abuses in Darfur.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK's priority is to secure workable humanitarian access, including operational security assurances for humanitarian agencies and ensuring communities can have safe access to working basic services. There can be no aid without access. We will work closely with the UN, our partners and the international humanitarian system so they can move quickly to scale-up delivery within Sudan when the access situation improves. We have raised our concerns on human rights violations in Sudan in statements and resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council, and directly with the Sudanese authorities. We continue to call for an end to violence, and for those responsible for human rights violations to be held to account.

Development Aid: Genito-urinary Medicine

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will restore the four per centof UK official development assistance for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is central to achieving FCDO commitments in the International Development Strategy, our approach to end the preventable deaths of mothers, new-borns and children by 2030 and the International Women and Girls Strategy.The FCDO ensures the aid budget is directed towards our priorities, delivers value for the taxpayer and meets the UK Government's commitment to spend 0.5 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) until the fiscal situation allows a return to 0.7 per cent. The International Development Strategy, which includes comprehensive SRHR, will guide aid prioritisation decisions, alongside the International Women and Girls Strategy. We will update on planned allocations for this spending review period in due course.

Development Aid: Genito-urinary Medicine

Baroness Northover: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prioritise (1) sexual and reproductive health, and (2) the rights of women and girls, in the allocation of official development assistance to developing countries.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The UK is proud to defend and promote universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive rights (SRHR). We are committed to working with our partners to drive progress and demonstrate leadership on SRHR on the global stage and in our programmes. This includes the recent announcement that up to £200 million will be delivered towards the Women's Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) Dividend programme focussed between 2024-29 on sub-Saharan Africa, which has the highest rates of maternal mortality, neonatal deaths and unmet need for family planning in the world.In March 2023, the FCDO published the UK's International Women and Girls Strategy which sets out our plan to promote and defend the rights of women and girls. In this, we committed to ensure that at least 80% of FCDO's bilateral aid programmes should have a focus on gender equality, using OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) markers, by 2030.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Energy Bills Rebate

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of households eligible for Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding have not yet made an application.

Lord Callanan: The Department estimated there were around 930,000 households who were potentially eligible for the Energy Bills Support Scheme Alternative Funding (EBSS AF) across Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Figures published on GOV.UK on 11th May show that, as of 3rd May, there were a total of 169,770 applications for the scheme in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Take-up figures for the scheme will be updated on 15th June 2023.

Offshore Industry: Licensing

Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the compatibility of the licensing of new offshore oil and gas with their commitments under (1) the Paris Climate Agreement, and (2) the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework.

Lord Callanan: The Government is reducing demand for oil and gas but will still need it for years to come. The independent Climate Change Committee has recognised this transition cannot happen overnight. The Government implemented the Climate Compatibility Checkpoint to assess whether new domestic hydrocarbon licensing is compatible with the UK’s climate targets. New licenses do not involve any slowing of the UK’s transition to net zero. The environmental impact of offshore developments is subject to rigorous regulatory assessment by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning, including a full environmental impact assessment and consultation with statutory nature protection bodies and the public.

Home Office

Asylum: Pregnancy

Baroness Sugg: To ask His Majesty's Government how manypregnant women claimed asylum in each year from 2015 to 2022.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The number of pregnant women that claimed asylum within the timeframe specified is not held in a reportable format and would require a manual search through individual records at disproportionate cost.

Asylum: Pregnancy

Baroness Sugg: To ask His Majesty's Government how manypregnant women arrived in the UK via small boats in (1) 2021, (2) 2022, and (3) to date in 2023.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: The Home Office ensures that vulnerable small boats arrivals are identified quickly and supported accordingly in line with robust safeguarding processes.The Home Office has previously established that a total of 77 pregnant women were accommodated at Manston between April and December 2022.Information about the number of pregnant women that arrived in the UK by small boats in 2021, early 2022, and in 2023 to date is not held in a reportable or readily retrievable format and could also be made available only at a disproportionate cost.

Immigration Controls: EU Countries

Lord Swire: To ask His Majesty's Government whether foreign nationals entering the UK from Schengen countries are subject to the same rules on the validity of passports as UK nationals travelling to Schengen countries.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: Visitors to the UK can enter using a passport which is valid for the whole of the intended visit. UK border measures are set in the interests of the UK.The border measures and passport eligibility requirements of other countries vary globally and are a matter for their governments.

Cosmetics: Animal Experiments

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government how many licences, and to whom, they have granted for animal testing of cosmetic ingredients since the start of 2019.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: Animal testing of cosmetics for consumer safety has been banned in the UK since 1998 and this remains in force.On 17 May 2023 the Government announced it is going further by banning, with immediate effect, licences to test ingredients exclusively used in the production of cosmetics for the purposes of worker safety.The Home Secretary has issued a Written Ministerial Statement, which can be found here: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2023-05-17/hcws779.The Home Office does not publish details of licensed establishments.

Asylum: Pregnancy

Baroness Sugg: To ask His Majesty's Government howmany pregnant women were removed from the UK in accordance with immigration rules in each year from 2018 to 2022.

Lord Murray of Blidworth: We do not routinely publish this information, we are unable to provide this information, as it could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Cabinet Office

Japan: G7

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what are their key priorities for the forthcoming G7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan on 19 to 21 May.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As the Prime Minister’s Statement to the House of Commons on 22 May set out at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima, the UK: led the way in supporting Ukraine for as long as it takes; took action on economic security and resilience; stood united with allies on China’s generational challenge; championed sustainable development; and secured commitments to collaborate on the challenge of illegal migration.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Prices

Lord Cruddas: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that food remains affordable in the UK, particularly for those who are most disadvantaged.

Lord Benyon: We continue to monitor food prices using the ONS inflation figures. The recent increase in food price inflation is driven by higher utility prices and pressures on global supply chains that are being felt globally. Industry analyst expectations are that we are either at or approaching the food price inflation peak. They then expect food price inflation to gradually decrease over the remainder of 2023. Defra is taking action to maintain an efficient food supply chain by mitigating against any potential burdens or friction which could otherwise drive-up consumer food prices. Through regular engagement, Defra will continue to work with food retailers and producers to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food. For example, by maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing measures. It is not for HM Government to set retail food prices nor to comment on day-to-day commercial decisions by companies. Rising food prices are dependent on a combination of factors including agri-food import prices, domestic agricultural prices, domestic labour and manufacturing costs The Government understands the pressures people are facing with the current exceptionally high cost of living. To protect the most vulnerable from the worst of cost-of-living pressures, the Chancellor recently announced a package of targeted support worth £26 billion, which includes continued support for rising energy bills.

Department for Business and Trade

Trade Agreements: Agriculture

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to put greater emphasis on farmers' interests in future trade deals.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: British farming is at the heart of British trade. The Prime Minister recently set out in an open letter to farmers, six principles that clearly outline our ambitions for farming and trade. These include protecting sensitive sectors, prioritising new export opportunities, tackling barriers to UK exports, and upholding UK standards. Underlining the Government’s commitment to supporting FTA export opportunities for producers, we recently announced an additional £2 million investment to strengthen our presence at major trade shows, an increase in the number of UK agriculture attachés, and a new £1 million programme to support our dairy sector to export.

Export Controls: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to using the Export Control Act 2002 to filter unsuitable items crossing from Northern Ireland into the Republic of Ireland to prevent a border in the Irish Sea.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Export Control Act 2002 provides the legal basis for our export control legislation on military and certain dual-use goods. Military list items and certain dual-use items specified within the European Union (EU) Dual-use Regulation (“the Dual-use Regulation”), require an export licence for export from Northern Ireland to Ireland. Export licence applications for these items would be assessed against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which is statutory guidance issued by the Secretary of State and laid before Parliament under section 9 of the Export Control Act 2002. We would not issue an export licence in response to an application where to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. Unless specified within Annex IV of the Dual-use Regulation, dual-use items exported from Northern Ireland to Ireland would not require a licence.The Windsor Framework ensures the free flow of trade from Great Britain to Northern Ireland through a new green lane, removing unacceptable customs processes. The only checks conducted will be risk-based to target smuggling or criminality in the green lane, highly-controlled goods, or any goods bound for the EU in the red lane.

Measurement

Lord Balfe: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to return to a system of imperial measurement; and, if so, what assessment they have made of (1) levels of understanding among younger people, and (2) any impact upon the UK’s competitiveness in world trade.

The Earl of Minto: The Government is reviewing the current law on units of measurement and has gathered information from the consultation ‘Choice on units of measurement: markings and sales’. A government response will be published in due course. The Government recognises that metric units remain essential for international trade. Any legislative changes would require an impact assessment, including an equality impact assessment.

Department of Health and Social Care

Osteoporosis

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthey intend to encourage NHS England to designate osteoporosis as a ‘long term condition’.

Lord Markham: The Department continues to work with NHS England on musculoskeletal policy, including considering classification of conditions such as osteoporosis.

Immunotherapy and Transplant Surgery: Cost of Living

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of the increased cost of living on stem cell transplant and CAR-T therapy recipients.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to assess (1) the potential benefit of establishing a patient travel fund for stem cell transplant and CAR-T therapy recipients, and (2) the potential cost to the Treasury.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support stem cell transplant and CAR-T therapy patients in pursuing a safe return to work while maintaining protections for their health.

Lord Markham: There are no plans to assess the potential benefits and costs of establishing a patient travel fund for stem cell transplant and CAR-T recipients. NHS England does not provide any specific cost of living support for patients receiving stem cell transplantation, however, trusts can exercise discretion to provide accommodation and/or other support depending on local and individual patient circumstances. The Non-Emergency Patient Transport Services (NEPTS) provide funded transport where it is considered essential to ensuring an individual’s safety, safe mobilisation, condition management or recovery.Depending on a patient’s financial circumstances, they may be eligible for financial support with costs via the NHS Low Income Scheme and Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. Those who do not qualify for NEPTS and need financial help with travel can access the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme. This is aimed specifically at those with a low income and allows patients to claim for all or part their travel costs should they meet the eligibility criteria.We recognise the pressures people are facing with the rising cost of living. Our extensive arrangements to help people afford NHS prescription charges, means that almost 89% of prescription items dispensed in community pharmacies in England are already provided free of charge. For those not exempt from charges, pre-payment certificates can be used to cap costs at just over £2 a week for regular prescriptions.People with long-term health conditions or disabilities, including those requiring stem cell transplants, may be entitled to financial support to contribute towards their extra costs such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Entitlement to PIP is assessed on the basis of the needs arising from a health condition or disability, rather than the health condition or disability itself.The Government does not any specific support to stem cell transplant and CAR-T therapy patients pursuing a safe return to work. However, the Government has a range of initiatives to support disabled people and people with health conditions, including stem cell transplant and CAR-T therapy patients, to start, stay and succeed in work. These include increasing Work Coach and Disability Employment Advisers’ support in Jobcentres, the Work and Health Programme, Intensive Personalised Employment Support, Access to Work grants, Disability Confident, the Information and Advice Service and support in partnership between Department for Work and Pensions and the health system, including Employment Advice in NHS Talking Therapies.

Ministry of Defence

Strait of Hormuz: Patrol Craft

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to increase defensive patrols in and around the Strait of Hormuz following the undertaking by the United States’ National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on 12 May to seek to increase co-ordination and interoperability of the International Maritime Security construct and European Maritime awareness in the Strait of Hormuz.

Baroness Goldie: The UK currently commands the International Maritime Security Construct, which provides an immediate response to the threat in the Persian Gulf by providing reassurance to commercial shipping and maintaining the security of the maritime commons. In addition, the UK demonstrates our commitment to freedom of navigation through the deployment of HMS LANCASTER, a Type 23 Frigate, which regularly patrols the Gulf of Oman and through the Strait of Hormuz. Alongside the US, the UK is currently increasing defensive maritime patrols in the Strait of Hormuz to provide additional security for maritime commerce in the region.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Iron and Steel: Redcar

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government, furtherto the answer by Baroness Scott of Bybrook on 17 May(HL Deb col 251), what discussions they have had with the Tees Valley Mayor about the Redcar Steelworks sites and the Government implementing section 6(3)(d) of the National Audit Act 1983; and whether they plan to implement that section with the agreement of local authorities.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook: On 24 May the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities wrote to the Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, confirming that he had taken the exceptional decision to support the commissioning of an independent review to consider the specific allegations made and Tees Valley Combined Authority’s oversight of the South Tees Development Corporation and Teesworks joint venture. A copy of his letter has been placed in the House of Commons Library and has also been published on Gov.uk. Furthermore, on 25 May, a Written Ministerial Statement from the Minister for Local Government, Lee Rowley, was made in the house detailing the exceptional decision taken by the Secretary of State and that the Terms of Reference and appointments to undertake the Review will be announced shortly.The Tees Valley Mayor approached Government some time ago regarding the possibility of an independent review of STDC and Teesworks to address allegations which he was concerned could have a damaging effect on investment and job creation across Teesside.The Secretary of State considered calls for such an investigation to be led by the National Audit Office. It is not the NAO’s role to audit or examine individual local government bodies and its powers would not normally be used for that purpose. As the letter to the Mayor confirms, the Secretary of State does not think it would be appropriate to expand so significantly the role of the NAO by asking them to lead an inquiry. The Secretary of State has stated that he would welcome the NAO updating its previous review of Government’s funding arrangements for the South Tees Development Corporation.The Government intends to publish detailed terms of reference for the independent review shortly and confirm the appointments to the review Panel.